Patents by Inventor Alfred Rieder

Alfred Rieder has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8327719
    Abstract: A measuring transducer comprising: a transducer housing, of which an inlet-side, housing end is formed by means of an inlet-side, flow divider having exactly four flow openings spaced, in each case, from one another and an outlet-side, housing end is formed by means of an outlet-side, flow divider having exactly four flow openings spaced, in each case, from one another; as well as exactly four, straight, measuring tubes connected to the flow dividers for guiding flowing medium along flow paths connected in parallel. The measuring transducer includes an electromechanical exciter mechanism for producing and/or maintaining mechanical oscillations of the four measuring tubes. The measuring tubes are excitable pairwise to execute opposite phase bending oscillations in, in each case, a shared imaginary plane of oscillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Martin Anklin-Imhof, Ennio Bitto, Christof Huber
  • Patent number: 8316722
    Abstract: The measuring system comprises: a measuring transducer, through which medium flows during operation and which serves for producing oscillatory signals dependent on a viscosity of the flowing medium and/or a Reynolds number of the flowing medium; transmitter electronics for driven the measuring transducer and for evaluating oscillatory signals delivered by the measuring transducer. The measuring transducer includes: an inlet-side flow divider; an outlet-side flow divider; at least two, mutually parallel, straight, measuring tubes, connected to the flow dividers; as well as an electromechanical exciter mechanism for exciting and maintaining mechanical oscillations of the at least two measuring tubes. Each of the at least two measuring tubes opens with an inlet-side measuring tube end into a flow opening and with an outlet-side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Ennio Bitto, Alfred Rieder, Martin Anklin, Christof Huber, Michael Kirst
  • Publication number: 20120255370
    Abstract: A method for trimming a tube with at least one stiffening element placed on its tube wall to a target bending stiffness, wherein the tube has first an interim bending stiffness, which is greater than the target bending stiffness. For the purpose of reducing the interim bending stiffness of the tube to the target bending stiffness, it is provided in the method of the invention that volume of the stiffening element is removed, for instance, by means of a laser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Wolfgang Drahm, Michael Wiesmann
  • Publication number: 20120255369
    Abstract: A measuring transducer comprises a housing, and a tube arrangement formed by means of at least two tubes extending within the housing. At least one tube is embodied as a measuring tube serving for conveying flowing medium and another tube is mechanically connected with the tube by means of a coupling element to form an inlet-side coupling zone and by means of a coupling element. The coupling element is arranged equally far removed from the housing end. One coupling element has, about an imaginary longitudinal axis of the tube arrangement imaginarily connecting a center of mass of the coupling element and a center of mass of the other coupling element, with an angle of intersection equal to that with the other coupling element, a bending stiffness, which deviates from a bending stiffness of the other coupling element about said imaginary longitudinal axis of the tube arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Wolgang Drahm, Michael Wiesmann, Christof Huber, Martin Anklin
  • Publication number: 20120255371
    Abstract: The method serves for changing at least one eigenfrequency of a tube arrangement formed by means of at least one tube particularly, however, also for tuning the interim eigenfrequency to a desired eigenfrequency deviating therefrom and referred to as a target eigenfrequency. The tube has a tube wall, of metal and/or an at least sectionally circularly cylindrical, tube wall as well as a stiffening element of metal and/or a stiffening element of material connectable with the material of the tube by material bonding and/or a platelet shaped, stiffening element, placed on the tube wall and co-determining the interim eigenfrequency of the tube arrangement. For the purpose of changing the interim eigenfrequency, it is provided, that volume is removed from the stiffening element, for instance, by means of laser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Wolfgang Drahm, Michael Wiesmann
  • Publication number: 20120222479
    Abstract: A method for detecting plugging of a measuring tube. Heat is supplied to a medium conveyed in a first measuring tube by means of at least one heating element, or heat is removed from the medium conveyed in a first measuring tube by means of at least one cooling element. At least one temperature sensor, which is thermally coupled to the medium conveyed in the first measuring tube, temperature is registered. Additionally, a first comparison variable, which is characteristic for heat transport by the medium in the first measuring tube, is determined based on the supplying of heat or removing of heat, as well as on the temperature registering, and this comparison variable is compared with a reference variable. Plugging of at least one measuring tube of the measuring transducer is detected if the first comparison variable deviates from the reference variable by more than a limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Hao Zhu, Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder
  • Publication number: 20120167697
    Abstract: A measuring transducer comprises: a housing, with an inlet-side flow divider having four flow openings, and an outlet-side end having four flow openings; a tube arrangement having four tubes connected to the flow dividers; and a first coupling element. An exciter mechanism for producing and/or maintaining mechanical oscillations of the four measuring tubes. The first coupling element includes a deformation body and four connecting struts, of which connected with a first strut end and with the first measuring tube, a second connecting strut is connected with a first strut end and with a second strut end with the second measuring tube, a third connecting strut and with a second strut end with the first measuring tube, and a fourth connecting strut is connected with a first strut end and with a second strut end with the fourth measuring tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Christof Huber, Ennio Bitto, Christian Schutze, Marcel Braun
  • Publication number: 20120123705
    Abstract: A measuring system comprises: a measuring transducer; transmitter electronics; at least one measuring tube; and at least one oscillation exciter. The transmitter electronics delivers a driver signal for the at least one oscillation exciter, and for feeding electrical, excitation power into the at least one oscillation exciter. The driver signal, has a sinusoidal signal component which corresponds to an instantaneous eigenfrequency, and in which the at least one measuring tube can execute, or executes, eigenoscillations about a resting position. The eigenoscillations have an oscillation node and in the region of the wanted, oscillatory length exactly one oscillatory antinode. The driver signal has, a sinusoidal signal component with a signal frequency, which deviates from each instantaneous eigenfrequency of each natural mode of oscillation of the at least one measuring tube, in each case, by more than 1 Hz and/or by more than 1% of said eigenfrequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Hao Zhu, Alfred Rieder, Michael Wiesmann, Patrick Oudoire
  • Publication number: 20120090407
    Abstract: A measuring system comprises: a measuring transducer for producing oscillation measurement signals; and transmitter electronics electrically coupled with the measuring transducer for activating the measuring transducer and for evaluating oscillation measurement signals delivered by the measuring transducer. The measuring transducer includes: a transducer housing, a first housing end housing end, first flow divider having exactly four flow openings, an outlet-side, second housing end formed by means of an outlet-side, second flow divider having exactly four flow openings mutually spaced from one another, and a tube arrangement having exactly four, straight, measuring tubes forming flow paths arranged for parallel flow and connected to the flow dividers, an electromechanical exciter mechanism for producing and/or maintaining mechanical oscillations of the four measuring tubes and a vibration sensor arrangement reacting to vibrations of the measuring tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred RIEDER, Hao ZHU, Ennio BITTO, Christian SCHÜTZE, Christof HUBER, Marcel BRAUN
  • Publication number: 20120073384
    Abstract: A measuring system comprises a measuring transducer which includes: a transducer housing with an inlet-side flow divider having exactly four, mutually spaced flow openings and an outlet-side housing end having exactly four, mutually spaced flow openings; four measuring tubes connected to the flow dividers for guiding flowing medium along flow paths connected in parallel; an electromechanical, exciter mechanism for producing and/or maintaining mechanical oscillations of the four measuring tubes; as well as a vibration sensor arrangement reacting to vibrations of the measuring tubes for producing oscillation measurement signals representing vibrations of the measuring tubes. Transmitter electronics includes a driver circuit for the exciter mechanism, and a measuring circuit. The measuring circuit of the measuring system of the invention corrects a change of at least one characteristic variable of the oscillation measurement signals delivered from the measuring transducer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventor: Alfred Rieder
  • Publication number: 20120060626
    Abstract: A method for detecting complete or partial plugging of a measuring tube of a Coriolis flow measuring device, which is insertable into a pipeline, and which has a measuring transducer of the vibration type having at least two measuring tubes connected for parallel flow. The method includes, in such case, the steps of measuring a subset flow occurring in a subset of the measuring tubes, and comparing a subset flow value obtained from this measurement with a reference value to be expected for this subset. The reference value is, in such case, determined from a total mass flow determined in the context of a Coriolis mass flow measuring. Additionally, the method includes the step of detecting plugging of at least one measuring tube of the measuring transducer, if the subset flow value deviates from the reference value by more than a limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Hao Zhu, Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder
  • Publication number: 20120042732
    Abstract: A measuring system comprises: a measuring transducer of vibration type, through which fluid flows during operation, and which produces oscillation signals corresponding to parameters of the flowing fluid; as well as a transmitter electronics (TE), which is electrically coupled with the measuring transducer, and serves for activating the measuring transducer and for evaluating oscillation signals delivered by the measuring transducer. The measuring transducer (MT) includes: At least one measuring tube (10; 10?) for conveying flowing fluid; at least one electro-mechanical oscillation exciter (41) for actively exciting and/or maintaining bending oscillations of the at least one measuring tube in a wanted mode; and at least a first oscillation sensor (51) for registering vibrations of the at least one measuring tube, and for producing an oscillation signal (s1) of the measuring transducer, representing vibrations at least of the at least one measuring tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Hao Zhu, Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder, Vivek Kumar
  • Publication number: 20110265580
    Abstract: A measuring transducer comprises: a transducer housing, of which an inlet-side is formed by means of an inlet-side, flow divider having exactly four flow openings spaced from one another and an outlet-side formed by means of an outlet-side, flow divider having exactly four flow openings from one another; a tube arrangement having exactly four, curved, or bent, measuring tubes connected to the flow dividers for guiding flowing medium along flow paths connected in parallel. Each of the four measuring tubes opens with an inlet-side, measuring tube end into one of the flow openings of the flow divider and with an outlet-side, measuring tube end into one the flow openings of the flow divider. Two flow dividers are arranged in the measuring transducer. An electromechanical exciter mechanism is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Christof Huber, Ennio Bitto, Marcel Braun, Alfred Rieder, Christian Schutze
  • Publication number: 20110259123
    Abstract: A measuring transducer includes: a transducer housing with an inlet-side flow divider having exactly four flow openings and an outlet-side flow divider having exactly four flow openings; as well as exactly four, straight, measuring tubes connected to the flow dividers. Each of the four measuring tubes opens into one the flow openings of the inlet-side flow divider and into one the flow openings of the outlet-side flow divide. Additionally, the measuring transducer includes an electromechanical exciter mechanism for producing and/or maintaining mechanical oscillations of the measuring tubes such that the measuring tubes are excitable pairwise to execute opposite phase bending oscillations in a shared imaginary plane of oscillation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Ennio Bitto, Alfred Rieder, Martin Anklin, Christof Huber
  • Publication number: 20110219857
    Abstract: The viscometer provides a viscosity value (X?) which represents the viscosity of a fluid flowing in a pipe connected thereto. It comprises a vibratory transducer with at least one flow tube for conducting the fluid, which communicates with the pipe. Driven by an excitation assembly, the flow tube is vibrated so that friction forces are produced in the fluid. The viscometer further includes meter electronics which feed an excitation current (iexc) into the excitation assembly. By means of the meter electronics, a first internal intermediate value (X1) is formed, which corresponds with the excitation current (iexc) and thus represents the friction forces acting in the fluid. According to the invention, a second internal intermediate value (X2), representing inhomogeneities in the fluid, is generated in the meter electronics, which then determine the viscosity value (X?) using the two intermediate values (X1, X2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Wolfgang Drahm
  • Publication number: 20110197681
    Abstract: Measuring transducer of vibration-type for a fluid flowing in a pipeline. The measuring transducer includes, in such case, a curved measuring tube for conveying the fluid, a counteroscillator having two counteroscillator arms, which are arranged on both sides of the measuring tube, and which, in each case, essentially follow the curve of the measuring tube, and which are coupled to one another in such a manner, that, during operation, they oscillate in phase with one another, and which are affixed to the measuring tube on the inlet side and outlet sides for forming corresponding coupling zones. The measuring transducer also includes an exciter mechanism, via which, during operation, the measuring tube and the counteroscillator are excitable to oscillations of opposite phase to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Rainer Lorenz, Michael Wiesmann
  • Publication number: 20110167907
    Abstract: The measuring transducer comprises: a transducer housing, of which an inlet-side, housing end is formed by means of a flow divider including four flow openings spaced, and an outlet-side, formed by means of a flow divider including four flow openings spaced, from one another. A tube arrangement including four curved measuring tubes connected to the flow dividers for guiding flowing medium along flow paths connected in parallel. Each measuring tubes opens with an inlet-side, measuring tube end into one of the flow openings of the flow divider and with an outlet-side, measuring tube end into one the flow openings of the flow divider. The two flow dividers are embodied and arranged in the measuring transducer, so that the tube arrangement extends both between a first and a second of the measuring tubes and between a third and a fourth of the measuring tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Ennio Bitto, Christof Huber, Marcel Braun, Alfred Rieder, Christian Schütze
  • Patent number: 7966895
    Abstract: An in line measuring device, includes a measuring transducer of the vibration-type having: at least one measuring tube vibrating, at least at times, during operation, and serving for conveying, at least at times, a two- or multiphase, flowable medium; an exciter mechanism acting on the measuring tube for producing vibrations of the at least one measuring tube; and a sensor arrangement for registering vibrations of the at least one measuring tube and for delivering at least one oscillation measurement signal representing oscillations of the measuring tube. The in line measuring device further includes measuring device electronics electrically coupled with the measuring transducer. The measuring device electronics delivers, at least at times, at least one exciter signal driving the exciter mechanism, and, at least at times, ascertains a damping value of first type, which represents a change of damping opposing the vibrations of the measuring tube within a predeterminable time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Daniel Kuttler, Alfred Rieder, Hao Zhu, Christof Huber
  • Patent number: 7966894
    Abstract: An in line measuring device, includes a measuring transducer having: a least one measuring tube vibrating, during operation, and serving for conveying, a two- or multiphase, flowable medium; an exciter mechanism for producing vibrations of the at least one measuring tube; a sensor arrangement for registering vibrations of the measuring tube and for delivering an oscillation measurement signal representing oscillations of the measuring tube, and a measuring device electronics electrically coupled with the measuring transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Daniel Kuttler, Alfred Rieder, Hao Zhu, Christof Huber
  • Patent number: 7966863
    Abstract: The viscometer provides a viscosity value (X?) which represents the viscosity of a fluid flowing in a pipe connected thereto. It comprises a vibratory transducer with at least one flow tube for conducting the fluid, which communicates with the pipe. Driven by an excitation assembly, the flow tube is vibrated so that friction forces are produced in the fluid. The viscometer further includes meter electronics which feed an excitation current (iexc) into the excitation assembly. By means of the meter electronics, a first internal intermediate value (X1) is formed, which corresponds with the excitation current (iexc) and thus represents the friction forces acting in the fluid. According to the invention, a second internal intermediate value (X2), representing inhomogeneities in the fluid, is generated in the meter electronics, which then determine the viscosity value (X?) using the two intermediate values (X1, X2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Wolfgang Drahm